The decisions you make before and during pregnancy will have a big impact on your child's health and wellbeing. Making sure that children start off on the right track begins before they are even born.
Derbyshire Community Health Services provides lots of health and wellbeing support during your pregnancy.
Smoking in pregnancy
Smoking while pregnant can increase the risk of harm to you and to your unborn baby.
When you smoke you increase the risk of miscarriage, premature labour, stillbirth, or cot death or having a baby with birth defects, low birth weight, asthma and more.
If you would like help or support to stop smoking during pregnancy then visit Live Life Better Derbyshire.
Health visitors
Health visitors are qualified nurses or midwives who have completed specialist training in public health for children, young people, and families.
Health visitors, along with school nurses, are responsible for helping to improve the health of parents, children, and young people.
Health visitors lead on the Healthy Child Programme, a government programme developed to improve the health and wellbeing of children under the age of 5.
Find out about health visiting 0 to 5 years.
Breastfeeding
When you choose to breastfeed, you make an investment in your baby's future. Breastfeeding also protects you and your baby's health.
Find out more about breastfeeding services and support.
Vaccinations
There are a number of vaccinations that pregnant women are eligible for. These include the flu and whooping cough vaccinations.
Visit NHS Choices to find out more about vaccinations in pregnancy.
First 1,001 days
A baby's brain development is shaped by its earliest experiences and these can have a lifelong impact on that child's mental and emotional health.
That' why the time between conception and 2 years of age is vital to a child's health and wellbeing. This is classed as the 1,001 critical days.
If a baby's development falls behind the norm during this time, it's more likely to fall even further behind in subsequent years.
Every child deserves a chance to lead a healthy and fulfilling life, and with the right kind of help, there is every opportunity for all children to achieve their full potential.
Children's centres
Find local help and support on a range of issues at your nearest children's centre.
Our centres provide advice on things like early education, childcare, health services and information on a wide variety of other services.
NHS Healthy Start
If you receive benefits and are pregnant or have children under the age of 4 you could qualify for Healthy Start vouchers.
With Healthy Start, you get free vouchers every week to spend on milk, plain fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables, and infant formula milk. You can also get free vitamins.
Find out more about NHS Healthy Start.